This invention relates generally to systems and methods for recording and scoring answers and, more particularly, to collecting answers to multiple-choice questions so that the answers may be compared with an answer key. The invention is especially adapted to individually testing a group of students.
Electronic response systems have been provided for rapidly retrieving responses from individuals to multiple-choice questions. One such system is disclosed in my co-pending application Ser. No. 303,163 filed Nov. 10 1988 for a WIRELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM WITH ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. Such response system provides real time responses to questions posed to a group and has a variety of applications. For example, in a business environment, a preference survey may be taken of a large group, with various items presented to the group and the response of the group obtained to each item. In an educational setting, such system would allow a teacher of a large group of students to occasionally quiz the group to determine the level of comprehension and, thereby, adjust the presentation to the group's ability to absorb the material. Such system may additionally facilitate multiple-choice testing of individuals in a class in order to determine a grade for each student for a particular portion of a course.
When it is desired to present a multiple-choice test to a large number of students in order to determine a grade for each individual student, it is desirable to allow each student to complete the test at his or her own pace. In this manner, it will not be necessary to test the class at the rate of the slowest student and students wishing to take longer to complete the test, or one particular question, will not feel undue pressure from their peers.
An electronic system that allows students to answer multiple-choice test questions at his or her own pace is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,818 issued to Lin C. Wetterau, Jr. for a DATA PROCESSING DEVICE HAVING MEMORY SELECTIVELY INTERFACING WITH COMPUTER (Wetterau, Jr.). In Wetterau, Jr. each student is provided a hand-held device having a keypad, a display, a CPU, a read only memory (ROM) and a random access memory (RAM). The CPU supplies data to the display and RAM and receives data from the keypad and ROM. In use, multiple-choice questions are stored in the ROM and retrieved by the CPU and displayed. The user is prompted either from the display or a voice synthesizer to input an answer using the keypad. The answer is stored in the RAM at a select address location and the user may be provided an indication whether the answer is correct. After the user has completed all of the questions, the hand-held device is inserted into a connector slot in a central computer. The CPU of the hand-held device is deactivated and the CPU of the central computer addresses the RAM of the device in order to retrieve the data stored therein. The retrieved data is analyzed in the central computer.
The Wetterau, Jr. system is not without its shortcomings. The storage of the questions and answer key in the ROM of the hand-held device requires that the program stored in ROM be changed in order to administer different tests. This is not only cumbersome, but limits the length of the questions, as well as the makeup of the answer choices, that may be administered using the system. Furthermore, a backup system of power must be provided in order to retain data in the volatile memory during periods of non-use. The engagement of electrical connectors on the hand-held device and the central computer in order to provide the central computer access to the memory bus of the hand-held device for retrieving data is cumbersome to use for a large number of students. In addition, the exposed electrical contacts are vulnerable to damage from various substances, such as chewing gum, pencils and the like, often in the possession of students taking tests.